Announcing TTAC's Top Troll Poll

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt
Our mascotLike any good on-line community, TTAC has its fair share of those little supernatural beings from Norse mythology, called trolls. If I tell you that some people call trolls fairies, this will immediately cause protests of LGBT discrimination, racism, or worse. How do you bring trolls out? Simple, you bait them. For instance with sentences such as the above. We have a better idea: We want you to elect TTAC’s SUPERTROLL.What is a troll? Wikipedia says it is “someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as a forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.” The Urban Dictionary says a troll is “someone with nothing worthwhile to add to a certain conversation, but rather continually threadjacks or changes the subject, as well as thinks every member of the forum is talking about them and only them.”Today and tomorrow, you can nominate TTAC’s most eminent and egregious trolls. Simply enter their TTAC handle in a comment, with a short explanation, if you insist.
Of course, TTAC’s master trolls will immediately try to deflect the poll by nominating TTAC editors or authors. Those are off limits, and by nominating a TTAC editor or author, you would immediately nominate yourself as a TTAC Top Troll candidate.We will let the nomination run for a day or two, then we will vote.
  • What does a TTAC Top Troll get? Freedom. As it is the common practice in this kind of a contests, you can vote the Top Troll off the island.
  • You may nominate a maximum of three candidates. Nominate more, and you go on the list.
  • Be the first to nominate the Top Troll and you get a TTAC Get Out Of Jail Card – unbannable for a year
  • There is another sealed and secret rule. I shall reveal it when it is too late.
And now: Start the nominations.
Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

More by Bertel Schmitt

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 289 comments
  • Cdakost Cdakost on Feb 07, 2013

    Surprised I didn't get nominated by 86SN2001 for calling him out all the time. Still he wins in my book.

  • Old fart Old fart on Feb 09, 2013

    I nominate bigtruckseriesreview @ Youtube Seems like he only wants to advertise his own agenda, otherwise everyone is totally cool

  • David Murilee Martin, These Toyota Vans were absolute garbage. As the labor even basic service cost 400% as much as servicing a VW Vanagon or American minivan. A skilled Toyota tech would take about 2.5 hours just to change the air cleaner. Also they also broke often, as they overheated and warped the engine and boiled the automatic transmission...
  • Marcr My wife and I mostly work from home (or use public transit), the kid is grown, and we no longer do road trips of more than 150 miles or so. Our one car mostly gets used for local errands and the occasional airport pickup. The first non-Tesla, non-Mini, non-Fiat, non-Kia/Hyundai, non-GM (I do have my biases) small fun-to-drive hatchback EV with 200+ mile range, instrument display behind the wheel where it belongs and actual knobs for oft-used functions for under $35K will get our money. What we really want is a proper 21st century equivalent of the original Honda Civic. The Volvo EX30 is close and may end up being the compromise choice.
  • Mebgardner I test drove a 2023 2.5 Rav4 last year. I passed on it because it was a very noisy interior, and handled poorly on uneven pavement (filled potholes), which Tucson has many. Very little acoustic padding mean you talk loudly above 55 mph. The forums were also talking about how the roof leaks from not properly sealed roof rack holes, and door windows leaking into the lower door interior. I did not stick around to find out if all that was true. No talk about engine troubles though, this is new info to me.
  • Dave Holzman '08 Civic (stick) that I bought used 1/31/12 with 35k on the clock. Now at 159k.It runs as nicely as it did when I bought it. I love the feel of the car. The most expensive replacement was the AC compressor, I think, but something to do with the AC that went at 80k and cost $1300 to replace. It's had more stuff replaced than I expected, but not enough to make me want to ditch a car that I truly enjoy driving.
  • ToolGuy Let's review: I am a poor unsuccessful loser. Any car company which introduced an EV which I could afford would earn my contempt. Of course I would buy it, but I wouldn't respect them. 😉
Next